Donny Hickmott describes himself as a self-taught artist who is still learning about the process through the years.

“I’ve never had a lesson,” he said. “I just wasn’t ever a good student growing up.”

In high school, Hickmott said his art teachers allowed him free range to work on his own.

“The way I do it works for me,” he said.

Since 1997, Hickmott’s work can be seen in Old Town Spring. His studio and gallery, located just off of Main Street, is called Walking Horse.

There, visitors can see Hickmott in action as he works on his paintings in plain view.

“People come in and they watch the progress of pieces,” he said. “I want this place to be very comfortable.”

Hickmott said the only process done in the privacy of his own home is when he is laying out a concept for a how a painting will look.

“Once I get it down to canvas or paper where I am ready to paint it, it is pretty much already finished in my head,” he said.

Hickmott used to work with acrylic paints with his work, but now he mainly uses oils since it dries slower.

“I love the richness of the color and I love it that you can keep working (with it),” he said. “The oil is so user friendly as far as blending and things like that.”

One of Hickmott’s latest pieces is a portrait of a customer’s dog.

“I do a lot of portraits of people’s animals,” he said. “I’ve done world champion horses and all different breeds.”

Hickmott said he does not limit himself to any one subject and will pretty much draw or paint anything.

“I don’t like being put in a box,” he said. “If I can get it put on canvas or paper, I’ll pretty much try anything.”

Of all the paintings at Walking Horse Studio and Gallery, there is only one painting which is not for sale. The painting is of a woman dressed for the Texas Renaissance Festival and was done by Hickmott a few years back.

“It’s my all-time favorite piece,” Hickmott said.

Among the crowd at the renaissance festival, Hickmott said he chose to do a portrait of a woman named Elizabeth.

“I stopped her and I asked if I could take a couple of pictures and maybe even do a painting,” he said.

After taking the woman’s photo, Hickmott began work on the painting at his studio.

Hickmott said he later went back to the festival, but could not find her again.

Hickmott said a year passed before a visitor to the Walking Horse recognized the woman in the painting.

It did not take much longer for his model Elizabeth and the painting to finally come together, he said.

“When she came in, she walked across the room and started crying when she saw it,” he said. “I gave her the very first print for modeling for me.”

For the aspiring artists of the world, Hickmott said they should do what they love and do a lot of it.

“The more you do it, the better you get,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for a life-time and I’m still learning.”

For more information on Donny Hickmott and Walking Horse Studio and Gallery, visit www. donnyhickmott.com.